Wheel.



Patented Aug. 20,- I90I.

J. K`. Lleuronr.

, WHEEL.

on med Doc.

(Ilo Ilpdel.)

UNITED STATES` PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN KJ-LGHTFOOT, OF CUMBERLAND, MARYLAND.

WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,125, dated August 20, 190|1. 4

Application iled December 3,1900. Serial No. 38.461. (No model.)

To LZZ whom/tt may concern.-

Be it known that `I, JOHN K. Lrenrroona citizen of the United States, residing at Cumberland," in the county of Allegany and State of Maryland,` have invented new and useful Improvements in Wheels,of which the following isaspeciiication. y

. This inventionrelates to wheels, and especially to wheels for mining-cars, and has for its object to provide an improved antifriction-bearing of simple, inexpensive, and durable construction 'and efficient and economical in operation.

To these ends my invention consists in the features and in `the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims following the description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, wherein- .Figure 1 1s a central longitudinal sectional view of my improved bearing. Fig. 2, is an end view thereof, the cap being removed` Fig. 3 is an inner face view of one of the grooved washers.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the axle, 2 the hub, and 3 the spokes.

The hub consists of a single integral casting cylindrical in shape and having an internal diam eter greater than that of the axlespindle 1.

rality of longitudinal cylindrical channels or ducts 4, each of said channels or ducts ex-` a the ports communicating with the ducts 4,

steel.

centrally between the ends of the latter, and the ports 6 `communicating with the inner ends of said ducts.

Disposed between the periphery of the axlespindle and the inner wall of the hub are a number off rollers 7, said rollers being perfectly cylindrical or of uniform diameter from end to end and preferably formed of polished Each of the rollers is provided at its Formed in the walls f the hub,` `preferably at equal distances apart, is a pluv opposite ends with reduced conical projections or extensions 8, the base of said extensions being lnuch less in diameter than the rollers, whereby the ends of the latter terminate abruptly or present square shoulders 9, that are adapted to receive theimpact of any endwise thrust that may be placed on said rollers, as will more fully hereinafter be apparent.

As shown, the rollers are of a length sufficient to extend substantially from end to en'd of the `hub and adapted to have a free rolling bearing between the axle-spindle and the interior of the hub..

In each end of the hub is formed a rabbet or` annular groove 2a, formed concentrically with the cylindrical interior of the hub, and tightly iitted in each of said rabbets or grooves is a collar l0, that loosely surrounds the axle-spindle. Formed in the inner face of each of the collars is an annular groove ll, V-shaped in cross-section, and when said collars are tted in place in the ends of the hub the conical extensions 8 of the rollers project into and rest loosely in said grooves.

In practice the collars are iitted sufficiently `fitted ina transverse slot in the end of the axle-spindle. Over the outer end of the axlespindle is fitted a hollow cup-shaped cap 15, which is provided with perforated ears or lugs 16, adapted to register with corresponding perforated ears or lugs 17, cast on the outer end ofthe hub. Suitable packing is arranged between the adjacent end faces of the hub and cap, and the cap is securelyheld in place on the hub by bolts and nuts 18', which operate to draw the ears or lugs 16 and 17 tightly together. The cap 15 constitutes a reservoir for the lubricant, which is introduced therein through an aperture 18, formed centrally in the cap.

In practice the rollers 7 are introduced into the hub, and the collars 10 are fitted in place in the grooves or rabbets 2a, the conical ex IOO tensions Sfo'ftherollerslloosely 'resting infthe annular groovesl'lin vsaid collars. VI/.s'beforeexplained, the collars are constructed to tightly lit in the grooves or rabbets, so that they will be held therein by frictional con tact, whereby the rollers aro-held in '.pl'ace Ein the; hub to permit the latter to be removed and replaced and shipped, transported, and stored, without disturbing the arrangement ofithe rollers. The lubricant is stored in the res-A ervoir formed by the cap and flows into the; ducts 4, from whence it Lpassesthroughthef ports 5 and 6 to the rollers 7, said Fports delivering the lubricant to saidvrollers at the ends and intermediate the ends of the latter'.y Therollers are `held against endwise move-g ment by the collars 10, Which latter are helilj immovable by the collar12 on the axle andf the Washer 13 and key '14. The 'conical ex tensions 8 of'the rollers travel'looselyin the, grooves 1l in the collars l0, the end'thru'stj which may at times occur being taken up byj the square ends of therollers. To removef the Ihubfrorn'the axle, it is only necessary tol vtake off'tliecap and Withdraw thekey,`when';

the'hub maybe slipped off the axle, the roll-f ers lbeing 'held in place 4by the collars'and;

conical extensions in the mannerbeforede scribed. To remove Vthe rollers, it isonly` necessary `toflift out oneof the collars,'nofas` tenings'having to be undone or reinoved'for, the purpose. 1In the cap 15 I provide'a'r'emovable Screw-plug 19 in ordert'o facilitateE the Iwinniietwator their-ey Vrfrwirheut removf isionsbeing-ofless diameter than the diame ter of the rollers whereby shoulders are formed on the ends of the rollers about-said conical extensions, collars 'loosely surroundiing the axle and tightly tt'ed in the said fgroov'esand ra'bbets 'and heldtherein by'fr'icltion, s'aid'coll'arsbeing provided on`their'in- *ner faces'withanniilar'grooves V-shaped in crosssectiom the saidconical extensions on lthe rollers resting and looselyftraveling in 'said grooves, a 'key "passing transversely lth'r'o'nghthe axle, anda'washer arranged beltween Asaidkey andtheadjacent collar, substantially as described.

'In testimony Vwhereof vI"haveghe'r'eunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribingwit- Enesses. l

\ JOHN K. LGHTFOOT Witnesses: y

"RALPH W1LLARD, 'WILLIAM HARTsooK. 

